Challenger Ally Isom tells Mike Lee to honor his commitment to term limits, more Olympic gold for Utahns and Daylight Savings time to stay?
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The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. We scour the news so you don't have to! Send news tips or feedback to Holly Richardson at editor@utahpolicy.com.

 

Situational Analysis | February 11, 2022

It's Friday, Friday. It's National Make a Friend Day and International Day of Women and Girls in Science. How about we all make friends with a woman in science??

Be in the Know

  1. Utah’s Clean Slate Law took effect yesterday, clearing old and minor criminal records for hundreds of thousands of Utahns. “We believe in the rule of law and that people should be held accountable when a law is broken. But we also believe in second chances,” said Governor Cox. Former Rep. Eric Hutchings, sponsor of the law which passed in 2019, said that the process was not only bipartisan but that many stakeholders came together to work it out. This law, he said, shows a willingness to bring humanity back to the process of both politics and criminal justice. 

  2. Ally Isom, challenger to Senator Mike Lee, pledged to serve only two terms and called upon Lee to honor his 2010 pledge to serve only two terms. Senator Lee has advocated for term limits since he was first elected 12 years ago.

 

2022 Legislative Session

24 days done, 21 days to go

General

  • The Daylight Savings Time bill is up today. It will be heard in the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services committee at 8 am
  • Media restrictions at the Legislature are unnecessary (Deseret News)
  • Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson says ‘we’ve lost our republic’ if faith in elections erodes. Utah’s lieutenant governor fielded questions about election security during a Spanish Fork town hall. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Today

Committee Meetings

Floor Time

  • House - 10:00 - 11:50
  • Senate - 10:00 - 11:50

Monday

Committee Meetings:

Floor Time

  • House - 10:00 - 12:00, 2:00 - 3:50
  • Senate - 10:00 - 11:50, 2:00 - 3:50

Business and Labor

  • Tired of telemarketers? Utah lawmakers have a bill for you (Deseret News)

Education

  • Utah parents will save on student fees under new bill, but will high schools lose programs? A bill removes fees for in-school activities, but parents will stay have to pay for sports and after-school clubs. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Free period products in schools closer to reality after Utah Senate vote (KUTV)

Government Operations

  • Rep. Steve Eliason's bill on improving the signature verification system for vote-by-mail passes the House committee and now heads to the House floor. 

Health and Human Services

  • ‘The needs are as diverse as those we serve’: Certification for Utah’s community health workers may be coming soon. ‘Part of our expertise is knowing the communities we serve,’ said a community health worker. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Utah Legislature would gain power over medical rationing under new bill (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Which health care providers should have civil commitment powers? A bill in the Utah Legislature inspires debate. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Bills expanding Utah's medical cannabis program win support (Fox13)

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice

  • Her sister was murdered, his brother executed. Why these Utahns are both fighting to end the death penalty. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • David Schwendiman: It’s time Utah left the death penalty behind (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Will sentencing guidelines change for online child predators? (KUTV)
  • Proposed constitutional amendment on sex abuse lawsuits fails in close House vote (Fox13)

Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

  • Does Utah need a $270 million bridge across Lake Powell? Rep. Phil Lyman thinks so and says money from Biden’s infrastructure bill could pay for the bridge. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Who should get water if Utah has an emergency shortage? Drought propels lawmakers to ask for study on the divisive issue (Deseret News)

Revenue and Taxation

  • Utah Senate unanimously approves income tax cut bill (ABC4)

Utah Headlines

General

  • How a planned Bangerter Highway interchange would affect dozens of property owners. Homeowners would have to find new places to live, and it’s not the best time to be moving — “The market is pretty high, pretty intense,” says one. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Utah genealogist helps African American families discover their heritage in Utah (KUTV)
  • 😳 After a typical traffic stop, police find severed finger in man’s wallet (KSLTV)
  • Department of Education dismisses Title IX complaint against BYU (Daily Herald)
  • New report identifies 119 school campuses in Utah with buildings vulnerable to earthquake (KUER)

Elections

  • Ally Isom promises to limit her stay in the U.S. Senate to two terms. Calls for Mike Lee to fulfill his own commitment to term limits. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • GOP challenger says Sen. Mike Lee is ‘no longer a credible voice’ on term limits (Deseret News)
  • WSU prof vying for US Senate switches to GOP, cites McMullin entry (Standard-Examiner)
  • Utah effort to 'Secure the Vote' proposes sweeping election reform, bans on vote-by-mail (The Spectrum)

Environment

  • Interior official: Federal funds ‘coming at just the right time’ to help Utah drought. Interior Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau toured water pipeline project in Utah County (Deseret News)
  • Utah Bureau of Land Management admits ‘some’ dinosaur tracks damaged near Moab (Deseret News)
  • Cedar City preparing for upcoming monsoon season after devastating floods (ABC4)
  • Much more snowpack needed to ease severe drought conditions (Fox13)

COVID Corner

  • 1935 new cases, 13 new deaths
  • COVID-19 is still filling rural Utah’s hospitals. Now providers are bringing in the military. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Research shows that COVID-19 vaccines do not cause infertility — but the virus itself can (Fox13)
  • US plans to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under 5 years in late February (KSL)

National Headlines

General

  • Fatal police shootings in 2021 set record since The Post began tracking, despite public outcry (Washington Post)
  • Black cemeteries are bulldozed and vandalized. Now, there is a growing movement to save them. (NBC News)
  • Biden warns Americans in Ukraine to leave, says sending troops to evacuate would be 'world war' (NBC News)

Politics

  • Legal experts baffled by six-year sentence when a Black woman on probation registered to vote (AP)
  • Think long and hard before changing the Electoral College. The framers of our Constitution were committed to popular representation, but greatly opposed the uncompromised concentration of power. (Deseret News)
  • Fight over Trump records puts focus on low-profile National Archives (The Hill)
  • U.S. lawmakers probe Trump's handling of White House records (Reuters)
  • Senators say CIA has been collecting data in bulk in secret program (The Hill)

Olympics

  • Park City trio beats out China to win mixed aerials Olympic debut. The golds were Team USA’s first in freestyle skiing since Jeret “Speedy” Peterson in 2010 (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • University of Utah student and alum Ashley Caldwell and her team won the first ever Gold medal in Mixed Team Aerials (U of U Alumni)
  • A generation ago, the bobsledder Vonetta Flowers became the first Black athlete to win a gold at the Winter Olympics. Now, Black women dominate the U.S. bobsled team. (New York Times)
  • Shaun White finishes fourth in last Olympics, ceding halfpipe to the next generation (Washington Post)
  • Star Russian skater tested positive for a banned substance before Beijing Olympics (NPR)
  • Teen skater's doping test draws global wrath against Russia (Reuters)

International

  • Macron refused Russian COVID-19 test before Putin meeting, didn't want to give Moscow his DNA (The Hill)
  • Taliban detains journalists working with U.N. refugee agency (Washington Post)
  • Hijab protests spread in India as girls refuse to be told what not to wear (CNN)
 

News Releases

Ally Isom: Senator, come home

It is 2,074 miles from my front step in Kaysville to the United States Capitol.  But my reality and Washington, D.C., are worlds apart.  

What we have in Washington, D.C., is not working, nor is it centered on things that matter most to Utah. Elites–and that includes long-time incumbents and  special interests–have too firm a grip on Washington. They think they know  better. They fail to see Americans have had it with the reckless spending, the unproductive tribalism, the disconnect from reality. 

Let me share the words of a fellow Utahn:  

“The American people … know that in many respects they are no longer in charge of their own government. That the government that was created to serve them has tried to untether itself from them, moving away from them and becoming a task-master rather than a servant.” 

“The American people are frustrated with a government that knows no boundaries.” 

These words were spoken before The Heritage Foundation on November 30,  2016, by Utah Senator Mike Lee, one of the nation’s most vocal advocates for term limits. (Read More)


Utah Senate unanimously concurs with House’s substitute to S.B. 59 Tax Amendments

Today, the Utah Senate unanimously gave final approval to S.B. 59 State Income Tax Rate Reduction, which reduces taxes for Utahns by $192.9 million.

S.B. 59:

  • Reduces the individual and corporate income tax rate for all Utahns from 4.95% to 4.85%. A $163.7 million reduction in taxes.
  • Increases the eligibility for a social security tax credit for seniors. A $15.4 million reduction in taxes.  
  • Establishes an earned income tax credit (EITC). A $16.1 million reduction in taxes.

The bill provides assistance to all taxpayers while enabling the Legislature to invest in transportation, public health, water and more key areas that matter to Utahns. Utah’s fiscally conservative policies put lawmakers in a position to cut taxes while continuing to fully fund education and social services at historic levels. (Read More)


Gov. Cox issues statement on tax cuts approved by Utah Legislature

Gov. Spencer Cox issued the following statement in response to the tax relief package approved by the Utah Legislature.

“As a freshman legislator nine years ago, I supported an earned income tax credit to benefit low- and moderate-income Utahns. Every year since I have worked to get the EITC signed into law. I could not be more excited to finally get this piece of legislation across the finish line. 

“I also look forward to signing into law income tax cuts for all Utahns in addition to expanded Social Security tax cuts for Utah’s most vulnerable seniors. I applaud the Legislature on their efforts in arriving at this bipartisan and balanced outcome. 

“All together, these tax cuts will return hard-earned money to Utah families and alleviate current inflationary pressures. These tax cuts are a tremendous win for Utah families and seniors, and I look forward to signing this bill into law.”


Stackline receives temporary marginal tax reduction

Today, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah) awarded Stackline a temporary, marginal tax reduction for its expansion in Utah. The post-performance corporate incentive is part of the Legislature’s Economic Development Tax Increment Finance (EDTIF) program.

As part of the agreement, Stackline plans to bring up to 152 new high-paying jobs and invest a projected $200,000 in Utah during the next five years.

Utah does not provide up-front cash for corporate retention and recruitment. Instead, the state offers a post-performance tax credit after the company meets specific obligations, including capital investment, new high-paying jobs, and additional state tax payments. (Read More)


Number of the Day

Number of the Day, Feb 11, 2022
 

Tweet of the Day

Screen Shot 2022-02-11 at 7.32.29 AM
 

Upcoming

  • The Emergence of the Crypto Economy with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation and special guests – Feb. 16, 10 am MST. Register here.
  • Independent American Party Organizing Convention – Feb. 16 from 4-6 pm at the Millcreek Library (2266 East Evergreen). Credentialing begins at 3:30 pm. 
  • Campaign filing period: Feb 28-March 4 (early this year!)
  • State of the Union address – Mar 1, 7 pm MST
  • Utah legislative session ends – Mar 4, 2022, midnight
  • Fireside chat with Justice Clarence Thomas hosted by the Hatch Foundation – Mar 11, 2022, 7 pm. Register here.
  • Campaign Management Training with Utah Farm Bureau – Mar 24-25, registration deadline March 1. Register here
 

On This Day In History

  • 1644 - First Black legal protest occurred in America when eleven Black people petitioned for freedom in New Netherlands (New York). The Council of New Netherlands freed the eleven petitioners because they had "served the Company seventeen or eighteen years" and had been "long since promised their freedom on the same footing as other free people in New Netherlands."
  • 1805 - Sacagawea gives birth to a son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. He came with her two months later when she left with Lewis and Clark on their journey to the Pacific Ocean and back to the Louisiana Territory.  
  • 1847 - Thomas Edison is born.
  • 1916 - Emma Goldman, a crusader for women’s rights and social justice, is arrested for lecturing and distributing materials about birth control.
  • 1918 - President Woodrow Wilson makes a speech before Congress and announces 'the Four Principles' which supplement his 14 points. 
  • 1958 - Ruth Carol Taylor, a journalist and nurse, became the first Black flight attendant in the United States when she joined Mohawk Airlines on this day.
  • 1977 - Clifford Alexander, Jr. is confirmed as the first Black Secretary of the Army. He will hold the position until the end of President Jimmy Carter's term.
  • 1989 - Rev. Barbara Harris became the first woman bishop in the American Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Communion worldwide.
  • 1990 - Nelson Mandela released from prison after TWENTY-SEVEN years. 
  • 1993 - President Clinton selects Janet Reno to be first female US Attorney General
  • 2012 - Whitney Houston dies

Wise Words

"God has no favorites."

- Bishop Barbara Harris

 

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